Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
Simple Minds
RELEASE: Celebrate: Live at the SSE Hydro Glasgow
BACKSTORY: Simple Minds this wee releases, in the U.K., a single-disc Blu-ray release and a 2CD/1DVD set documenting their Nov. 27, 2013, show in Glasgow. The sets will be released Aug. 5 in the U.S.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
The Dream Academy
RELEASE: The Morning Lasted All Day… A Retrospective
BACKSTORY: Real Gone Music this week issues a 2CD retrospective celebrating Dream Academy’s output, a 24-track set that including rarities and a new track (“Sunrising”) recorded for this new collection.
BUY: Amazon.com
Tears For Fears
RELEASE: The Hurting
BACKSTORY: As part of Universal Music’s “Back to Black” re-release series, Tears For Fears’ acclaimed debut receives a 180-gram vinyl reissue in the U.K. this week. Album includes “Mad World,” “Pale Shelter” and more.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
ABC
RELEASE: Lexicon of Love
BACKSTORY: As part of Universal Music’s “Back to Black” re-release series, ABC’s debut receives a 180-gram vinyl reissue in the U.K. this week. Album includes “Poison Arrow,” “The Look of Love” and more.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
Soft Cell
RELEASE: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
BACKSTORY: As part of Universal Music’s “Back to Black” re-release series, Soft Cell’s debut receives a 180-gram vinyl reissue in the U.K. this week. Album includes “Tainted Love,” “Sex Dwarf” and more.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
The Specials
RELEASE: Live at the Moonlight Club
BACKSTORY: Parlophone reissues this oft-bootlegged LP, eventually released by Chrysalis in 1992, on 180-gram vinyl this week with a brand-new cover image of the legendary 2 Tone act. Includes “Nite Klub,” “Concrete Jungle” and more.
BUY: Amazon.com
Various Artists
RELEASE: The Best of 2 Tone
BACKSTORY: Rhino/Parlophone this week releases, on CD and 2LP vinyl, a new compilation of 2 Tone ska acts including cuts from The Specials, The Beat, The Selecter, Madness, Rico and The Bodysnatchers.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
Annnnnnnnnnd they STILL didn’t put the instrumental of “Please, Please, Please . . . ” on The Dream Academy anthology!
That’s no staring at Seurat works for me this week, then . . .
*Puts Gordie Howe Redwings jersey back in closet*
Well done, sir. [hand clap]
SOMEONE GOT THE REFERENCE?!!? THANK YOU! YOU JUST MADE MY WEEK!
Think I can get through the last two weeks of summer sessions now.
Am I the only person who could care less about vinyl reissues here in the year 2014? I’ll never be convinced that it sounds better than a CD. And these ears can’t tell the difference between a high quality digital file (320kbps mp3 or flac) versus a CD.
It’s not an audible thing, it’s an experience thing. Some people (commenter included) just like the experience.
I agree. I like the larger artwork of vinyl but that’s about it. I feel no nostalgia whatsoever about the “snap, crackle, and pop” surface noise of vinyl which can be particularly noticable during quiet passages.
As someone who listens with quality headphones with good high-frequency response often, this vinyl surface noise has always been really noticable for me. I remember back in the 80’s buying brand new vinyl (of pre-CD titles, and titles not issued on CD yet), and hearing those annoying crackly “pop” sounds on the first listen, and having the sobering thought, “this record will never sound better than it does right now”.
I grew up with vinyl in my childhood, but getting my first CD player as a teen in 1986 was truly a REVELATION, and I never looked back. The improved dynamic range, better signal-to-noise ratio, and complete silence during the parts that were supposed to be, blew vinyl out of the water.
Every vinyl I had in my collection has been upgraded to CD, except for the things that are still unavailable on CD.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, of course, but I am really puzzled that CDs are declining in popularity and vinyl seems to be making a comeback, especially given the younger generations’ seeming interest in technology.
With the right equipment it has a texture difference that some listeners can pick up and others can’t. I run my vinyl through tube amps only which adds to the sound definition but not everyone is willing to shell out the funds for something like that. Hearing is not necessarily about better or worse, but different most often, two people can test the exact same on a standard hearing test but can have different hearing in other areas not readily evident in the tests. It also has something to do with whether you are a passive listener or not, its not a medium for those who just want music on in the background, too expensive an endeavor for that. Not trying to be a vinyl snob, these are just truths that not everyone thinks about.
re: the “texture” difference – I assume you are referring to vinyl’s “warmer” sound. I admit that I found this true to an extent with the earliest CD players that had poorer “oversampling” rates and poorer digital/analog converters than later players. As the CD player sound quality improved, this became much less noticable for me; and even if it is was, there is still the question of trading a little “warmth” for the pristine clean sound of not having those crackly vinyl artifacts. For me, the vinyl artifacts have always been a huge negative (particularly during quiet passages with headphones).
“It also has something to do with whether you are a passive listener or not, its not a medium for those who just want music on in the background, too expensive an endeavor for that”.
I’ve heard that arguement before, and I get it, and agree. The artwork appreciation, the idea of listening to a COMPLETE work from beginning to end actively (not passively). I really like the ideal of the full album as a complete work intended to be listened to as such, and I agree with what you said about listening actively instead of passively in the background.
I liten to music actively, not as background, and listen to albums start to finish as the complete works they are intended to be.
The only difference is, I do this with CD, so I don’t consider this type of active listening and bonding as “exclusive” to vinyl! I treat CD with the same passion I had for vinyl before CD existed, and the same way vinylphiles treat vinyl now. I just honestly prefer the clean sound and lack of anoying surface artifacts of the CD (surface noise surely not heard or intended during studio playback!), and I like being able to experience any work of 80 minutes or less uninterupted, rather than have to have breaks in it to flip sides every 20-25 minutes. (And a 90 minute album only has to be interupted once on CD, rather than 3 times).
All very good points. I definitely don’t mean to say that digital is only for background listening and I definitely agree that digital music can sound very good, if not better in many cases, than vinyl, especially legacy vinyl. I have mainly stuck to purchasing new vinyl and hung on to my old. And not all new vinyl is great, regardless of whether its on 180G, 200G or not, but the ones I have that are perfect are amazing to hear, for me of course.
Oddly enough, I have found Electronic music through tube amps to be outstanding on vinyl, never would have thought that. Kraftwerk’s recent vinyl box is some of the best sounding wax I’ve ever heard. Shameless plug not really in context with this conversation I know!
Considering that most vinyl releases are now mastered from the same highly compressed sources used for the CD reissues, sonically you are losing out in comparison to the original vinyl releases.
True in most major label re-releases on vinyl which is why they are cheaper than other vinyl albums. The better ones, which tend to be in the 29.99 to 35.99 range have been remixed and remastered specifically for vinyl. It doesn’t mean they are always done right but they tend to have the right sound for vinyl as opposed to the direct transfer of the old CD remaster.